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2015.09.19 - Under The Watchman
The weather is rather mild for Mid-September. The big tree in the center of the forest is a real draw for some people. There is something about the tree that is just mysterious and magical in nature. For those sensitive to it, they can sense a dim power that most tree's do not have. Sitting down on the ground in front of the tree is a golden tanned blond teen. He has no shirt on, and is just wearing a pair of basketball shorts. His big bright blue eyes scan over the notes written in the book in his lap. There is something in the air. For those sensitive, there is definitely some magic buzzing about that isn't coming from the tree. It is centering more from Brodie in his spot in front of the tree. Shane Welles is used to running. But he was starting to like Beacon Hills and regretted leaving. However, with at least two people (and maybe an angel) having seen him die and return, it wasn't safe to stay. He didn't want to tempt fate. Or the people who ran the lab where he'd been imprisoned. Or the people who raided them. There were too many things he didn't understand. So in the early hours of the morning, he'd caught a train north, at random. And got off in a small, very gray town. And just started walking. That hike, with Shane dressed in jeans and muscle shirt, with a pull-over Beacon Hills High hoodie over that and a backpack over his shoulder, lead him to what felt like yet another magic tree. This one with somebody else radiating that same buzz he sometimes sensed from rare individuals sitting under it. He paused at the edge of the clearing and watched a moment, biting his lip and trying to decide if he should keep running. Brodie is pretty much wrapped up in what he is doing for the time being. The blond is sending out his magic and getting a feel for what is going on from the tree. His lips murmer something and he picks up a pen and starts to scribble something upon the page. He scowls at the notes and he lets out a disgruntled growl. He throws his hands in the air and then chucks the pen at the tree. "Why can't you just talk to me damnit." The teens accent is Australian but it has been diluted with the American accent. He has not yet noticed Shane. He is too busy tossing things at inanimate object is really difficult. After watching the stranger another moment, Shane steps into the clearing, holding up his hands, feeling the buzz from the tree and from Brodie himself, the the beat and counter-beat of a heart. After a moment, he put down his hands, feeling a little foolish and cleared his throat. "Well, it is a tree. They aren't known for being chatty." Brodie leaps up as he is startled by the stranger. "Shit mate, you startled me." He lifts himself up off of the ground. He dusts himself off and just turns his big blue eyes on Shane. There is something about looking into those big blues that is rather calming. It is hard to not stay calm around Brodie when looking into those big beautiful eyes and that bright smile. "That's not always true. Some tree's and plants talk to you. If you're not taking care of them or something is wrong in the environment. They tell you a whole lot." He smirks at that. "But this one doesn't want to tell me anything." He places a hand on his hip and he eyes Shane up and down for a moment. His blond brows purse together and he looks... confused. Eyes are watching from the shadows of the forest. Shane Welles smiles faintly as Brodie stands and speaks. The other teenager is tall and obviously athletic and that accent is interesting. Shane blinks at that look of confusion and then looks behind himself as though to make sure there isn't somebody behind him that Brodie could be looking at and then turns back, "I'll take your word on it. I don't know much about plants." And then, with an odd echo of deja vu, "Um, am I trespassing or something?" Jason Christopher arrives from Cliffside Overlook. Jacob Black arrives from Cliffside Overlook. Brock Bryant arrives from Cliffside Overlook. Brodie is standing in front of the Watchman, he is wearing just a pair of basketball shorts and a smile. He has a notebook in his hand and his stuff is on the ground next to him. Not too far from him is Shane, staring towards him and the big tree. The Watchman has a subtle buzz of dormant magic and Brodie is radiating much more active magic. He stares at Shane and says, "What are you exactly? Your aura is." He pauses. What's a good way to put it. "Confusing. I've never run into someone like you." He shifts into a slightly more defensive position. His posture changes and he peers at Shane with more caution. "You're not going to attack me are you? I'm so not in the mood for a fight. And this puzzle is just frustrating. I can't seem to figure it out." He is so, matter of a fact and blunt. He sniffs the air in front of him closer to Shane. "Too many unknown things in this area." His big blue eyes look at Shane, scowling at not knowing what exactly the other teen is off the top of his head. Tugging on his backpack straps and then pushing back the hood of his hoodie, Shane gives Brodie a blank look for a moment. "My ... aura?" He looks nervous at the question about what he is and shrugs, involuntarily, as though saying he has no idea what Brodie is talking about. Or no idea what he is. Or both. At that shift, Shane takes a step back and holds up both hands defensively, "Whoa, whoa, dude! I come in peace. I've never attacked anybody. Well, Timmy Zimmerman in third grade. But he was trying to stick my head in a toilet at the time. Why does everybody keep expecting me to hit them or something?" Running a hand through his short cropped hair he sighs and then stops talking when Brodie scents the air. "D...did you just ... sniff me?!" Brodie scrunches his nose up at that. He is a predator, he can recognize that scent anywhere. But he doesn't address it yet as he says. "Well your aura. It's not a normal humans. I guess that is the best way to say it. People probably expect violence from you because you have the potential. I can read it on you like a book. Like, you can tell that violence follows you." He ponders. "It's probably not best to lie to me. I am not fan of liars. Timmy Zimmerman? The question, and I really hope you don't lie about it. Did you try to hurt yourself recently?" Yeah, he went there. Complete stranger and he just asked him if he tried to kill himself. "I might have sniffed at you. You have a very distinct copper tinge to you. Your blood but you washed it off. And used too much soap to try and cover it up." Jason Christopher has been coming to The Watchman nearly every day, using his own not unformidable magic to try and connect with the still dormant magic of the tree. He could feel it was stirring, slowly stretching out and waking. But after so many years asleep, it was as yet unwilling to fully stir. Soon, he would have to go from gently nudging it to throwing a bucket of water on it. Magically speaking anyway. Time was of the essence now. Jason Christopher seems to just materialize out of the shadows of the trees. Even at this hour of the morning the canopy leaves the forest floor well shadowed. He is wearing a pair of black shorts that fit him very close, and a white tank top purchased someplace in Europe for some stupid price tag because of a designer name. He sizes up those present, listening to their present conversation, and arches an eyebrow before saying in that quiet tone of his. "What are you doing here?" There isn't inherently a measure of disapproval. But this could be a very dangerous place. He is curious why Brodie would be here alone, and just who exactly the stranger was. Otherworldly sounds, like the twinkling of bells and musical laughter, seem to come from nowhere. Frowning as the blond boy spoke, Shane looked more and more worried. He swallowed at the idea that the potential for violence surrounded him and then waved off the question about his grade school nemesis then blushed at that the self-harm question. He considered lying, but the way things were looking, he was about to get back on that train and head to Canada, if he had to. And there was a certain amount of pressure building up that needed release. His voice started off soft but rose as he said, "I didn't know I had an aura. I don't even know an aura is. And it's kinda bogus to go around reading them when people don't know they have them, dude. It's like ... like rummaging through somebody's underwear drawer. And believe me, if I COULD kill myself I would. Trust me on this one, it doesn't stick!" And then another person is there, another taller, fit guy, this one looking unhappy, though his voice was level. Figuring the question was for him, he sighed and pointed at the tree. "I heard that. But I'm starting to think I should stop listening when trees start, um, buzzing." Jacob follows Jason out of the woods, but despite arriving just after him it's clear the two walked here together. Unlike Jason, Jacob is mostly oblivious to the tree's power and gradual waking. His senses are grounded in the physical world, not the world of magic and spirits and druidic power... that's more Jason's sort of thin. Still, Jacob remains as devoted as ever--by now, even those who don't know about his imprinting have likely observed Jacob's devotion to the older alpha. When Jason addresses the others, Jake stays quiet, though he folds his arms across his chest and generally looks skeptical about whatever's going on here. To him, this just plain looks like trouble. Small animals scurry through the underbrush. Speaking of the smell of blood... it hangs all over the newest arrival like a butcher shop. Blood and sweat, that is. His blood to be more specific. He looks uninjured, but really quite worked over. Kinda like he just got out of a fight, but he doesn't seem to have taken any wounds. That's because Brock heals fast. He looks tired as he lumbers into the area. The slight overcast that keeps the sun from shining in its full luster has him just a bit more lethargic than normal. But at least he is clothed! For the most part, dressed in a pair of black and grey sports pants with the white stripe up the sides, no shirt of course, so he's got the whole ultra torso going on, as he is in excellent shape, and he has white cloth tape wrapped around his forearms and his knuckles, which are actually soaked in that blood of his. Brook's expression is very casual, like the blood thing? Eh, it's an everyday occurrence and all. When he arrives, he sees Jason and the others, and his brother talking to some new stranger. Standing near the tree Jason had been messing with, he watches for the moment. Small lights seem to dance at the periphery of your vision. Brodie just listens and he stares. But something about how Shane is opening up to him, he believes. Because that defensive posture drops. "Oh okay. So you're something but you don't know what you are." He ponders that last statement. "You can't die?" His big blue eyes look up as he tries to search his mental database for people who cannot die. "I would have to do some research. But I could probably tell you more about it." He turns to look towards Jason. "What am I doing here? I'm communing with the tree. Jeez. Act like I can't defend myself. I'm not an invalid. I can definitely take this guy if he turned out to be a threat." Shane actually looks even less threatening than Brodie does, if that's even possible. His nose flares out as the scent catches his sensitive nose. That is family blood. He knows the potency of it. His eyes go wide in his head and he forgets them all. "Brock? What the bloody hell happened to you?" He moves over to his brother quickly and he snaps at him. "Get away from that." This is probably the first time that the boys would have ever seen Brodie getting aggressive. He hushes his breath and scolds his brother through his teeth. "You know what our blood is like. You shouldn't be bleeding out all willie nilly. And on the Watchman." He reaches out to take hold of his brothers bigger hands. "If you wake it up and get sucked into the Ways you can get lost. You don't have the training to survive that. And I don't really have the experience to go in to find you. What did you get yourself into? Do you need me to invoke some cleansing?" Brodie sure is in a huff. Jason Christopher cants his head to the side and casts a glance at Brodie. He says to him quietly, addressing the known first. "Brodie, please tell me you just came to observe The Watchman." The idea that he might interact with it, after what had happened at the Nemeton. That disturbed Jason, in a very real way. He says it in a softer tone of voice. The concern for Brodie the imperative in it as opposed to anything that might suggest Brodie was incapable. As Brock arrives he nods at him, suspecting that the older cat in the family would not approve of Brodie potentially being whisked away to yet another unknown locale should this tree surge as the last had. Before Jason can suggest he shouldn't interact with The Watchman though, Brodie explodes into a flurry of familiar fluster. Jason then turns his attention to the stranger. Lately this area had become quite the vacation destination of wandering weirdness. Apparently 800 miles from Beacon Hills was not buffer enough after all. He scents the air as well, but much more subtly. Someone used to doing such things without someone noticing. Then he approaches the newcomer, stepping to within a few feet away, he nods his head in greeting. "My name is Jason Christopher, welcome to La Push. That tree and others like it can be. Dangerous. Unless you understand them they are best avoided." Of course they also had a way of only revealing themselves to those they wished to also. But that was a point he didn't bother with for now. He is making an effort to not be AS intimidating as normal. But as Brodie mentioned when they met. It wasn't something he was able to just turn completely off. Jason narrows his eyes thoughtfully, those decidedly un-natural moonlight yellow eyes. "What, precisely, do you mean. When you say 'death' does not stick?" He certainly smelled human. But in his long life he knew enough to know that was not always the most certain way to determine that someone was human. As usual Jason was utterly without fear in the situation. He glances back at Jacob, and then to a spot over to the left. A subtle desire for a flank to be covered in the event he ran. If the stranger proved a threat, well it would be unwise with him alone. With everyone else arrayed here too? Unless it was Cthulhu hiding in a human body they would be fine. And it wasn't Cthulhu hiding in a mortal body. He was damn sure of that at least. Small lights seem to dance at the periphery of your vision. Shane Welles blinks as two more guys come out of the woods. If this were his old life, he'd be intimidated by being surrounded by a bunch of fit, tall and not so friendly guys. Especially when the dark-haired guy who looks ready for a fight and a giant covered in blood appear. He does take a prudent step back though. Just because he can't die doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. And then, at Brodie's words he blinks and starts to ask a question that he cuts off when the blond goes to tend the also blond giant. Shane fights the urge to take another step back as Jason moves forward and those eyes catch his attention. He was raised to be polite so he replies, "Shane Welles. Hi. And I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, um, trespass." For those with animal senses, his scent is freshly scrubbed with old blood under it (all his) and a fresh scent of worry and frustration and fear. If he's aggressive at all, it's well-hidden. "And, trust me, you wouldn't believe me, if I told you. I wouldn't believe it if somebody told me that they died and came back without a mark on them. A few times now. Like, yesterday." He shrugs, half-listening to Brodie castigate Brock. "Annnnyway, I think I better motor, dudes." He gave a nervous smile. At worst, he thought, they'd probably think he was crazy and it would give them something to laugh about at the gym. Jacob looks over at Brodie, too, clearly also concerned. He doesn't pretend to understand the Watchman well enough to admonish Brodie, but he does add quietly, "Hey, just be careful, huh? Just getting fond of you, y'know?" He offers a little smile, then follows Jason to meet the new guy. He tucks his thumbs idly into the pockets of his cargo shorts, looking Shane up and down, and after Jason speaks, he adds, "Jacob Black. Likewise on the welcome." He too looks curious about this talk of death not sticking, but generally he isn't one to push about stuff he doesn't understand... so he mostly just sticks to being a physical presence and offering a friendly welcome. This druid stuff is still all way over his head, and he's not ashamed to let it show. As Shane goes to leave, he quirks an eyebrow and asks, his tone casual, "What's your hurry? We all just met." Ah, that's right, Brodie hasn't been around since Brock has been training himself like this. He's not been too exposed to much magic to remember that he should at least be mindful of his blood spilling. But Brodie seems to handle reminding him of that, and in a way the makes the elder Bryant scrunch his nose up a bit, "Oy! It's fine, ah can make more long as mah heart's still beatin, an' ah stay hydrated, right? An' don't go worryin bout some magical whatevermacallit suckin me off ta some far away land, right? Ya know ah couldn't avoid it if ah tried. Fate has plans fer yers truly, an' bad things happen when ah resist the pull. So if ah get sucked up, ah'm sposed ta get sucked up, right?" his broad shoulders lift to a shrug, yet he lets his brother lead him away from the thing, sighing, "Alright, fine, ah won't touch it. Ah do some resistance trainin. Ah find the biggest predator in the woods-- in this case a bear-- an ah aggitate the piss outta the thing, and let it maul on me for 20 minutes or so. S'like any good workout, ya gotta build up the tolerance." If magic were akin to the scent, Brock would be the equivalent to having been sprayed by a skunk. Some really heavy and potent magic waifing off of him right now. Brodie looks at Jason and he gives him that look. The, you have to be kidding to really question what he is doing look. Brodie is not in the mood, maybe the wolves are rubbing off on him. Or the lack of natural sun is making him sour too. "I can handle myself. I have traveled the Ways before. I can do it again." He takes a deep breath and he pushes the calming aura out as he focuses on calming himself. He turns to Shane as he says that he is going to leave. His edge softens, definitely less aggressive the more he breathes and focuses. "No, wait you can't leave. I have too many questions for you. They are unanswered. But you were drawn here. That means something. Trust me it does. I need to know who and what you are. You might be part of this all. We may need you." His eyes soften and he almost pleads with Shane not to go. Who can deny those big blue eyes. "I'm Brodie, I'm from Beacon Hills too. I was just enrolled in school there. This is Brock, Brock Bryant. He's my brother. He's a teacher at Beacon Hills High School." He shifts his position back to Brock. "You have no idea what the Ways are." The aussie teen sighs. "Try not to piss off the animals that are friends with Jason. They are good animals." He takes Brock away and he thanks him. "Alright. The Watchmen is still asleep. And this young man has suddenly found himself drawn here. I don't think it's by chance. He's from Beacon Hills for goodness sake. What are the odds that someone came 900 miles by chance." He looks at all the boys gathered. "I'm going to try contacting the Watchmen with Dream Magic." Jason Christopher watches as Shane starts to leave, thinking about the things he had learned centuries ago. He never forgot anything, ever. A benefit of being both immortal and regenerative. A slight, close lipped smile tugs at one corner of his mouth as Jacob addresses Shane. Then he chooses to add something in as well. The boy seemed a bit lost, and lately Jason had a bit of a soft spot for the lost causes and strays. "Before you go Shane Welles. When you died. Were you decapitated?" He says nothing more, just asks the question. But he also seems unfazed at the notion that he says he died and returned to life. Was this possibly an immortal? They were almost indistinguishable from a human in most ways. Other than, they didn't die unless the brain and heart were separated. He hadn't been aware there were any left, not after the rumors passed through the shadowy places of the world that someone had 'won' their great battle. Maybe Brodie could find out more, though it was risky. Jason doesn't look over to Brock, and he doesn't feel the need to ask if the bear was harmed. He trusts that was not the case. But he chuckles inwardly at the lion's intensity. In Jason's mind the real trick was never getting hit. But Jason was to stealth what Brock was to the frontal assault. The approaches differed. But you certainly couldn't argue with results. Jason frowns at Brodie's reaction. But he is his own person, and more than capable. He didn't like it in the least though. Anymore than he liked the cryptic comments he kept making about all that was going on here. But he also made no move to stop him. "Brodie. Find out what you can. Just, please be careful." This time it was utterly unmistakeable. There is no questioning his ability here. He is just plain and simply worried about him. You can feel many eyes on you as you move through the area. The newcomer can't help but smile at Jacob's question and he tilts his head towards Brock. The sight of a huge guy covered in blood might be fairly standard for THEM, but for somebody who thought of himself as a pretty normal guy not very long ago, it's a bit of a worrisome sight. Speaking of which, his eyebrows try to reach his headline as he hears what Brock says to Brodie and feels the vibrations, or buzz or spider-sense or whatever pouring off the big man. "You ... picked a fight with a bear?" And then, as thought apparently occurs to him at random, "Like a live bear or a zombie bear?" Because that's his life now. He has to parse between living and undead animal attacks. Brodie's intensity genuinely takes him aback a little. He nods to the brothers as they are introduced. "Brodie, Brock. Um, hi." He swallows at the nebulous ideas of destiny and fate and all that and says, "Um, actually, I'm from Ohio. But my foster family lives in Beacon Hills. Shane gives Brock another look, a little disbelieving this time. "What on earth do you teach? Wrestling?" And then back to Brodie, "I'm just running. I didn't mean to run here, specifically, I just ran." But that look from Brodie and the way the others all seem to have ties to the others, by their body language and easy bickering remind him that he doesn't actually have anywhere to go, at the end of that run. Jason's question is so strange that he laughs and is surprised into answering the question honestly, "Not yet. Hit by a bus, fell off a cliff, froze to death in Utah, which wasn't bad. Um, ripped up by a demon goat dude, which was. But no decapitations yet." He waits until Jason finishes giving the marching orders and then asks, "Um, why do you ask?" Eyes are watching from the shadows of the forest. Jacob frowns at all this intensity, and about something he understands so little. His instinct to look after the others keeps running into the solid wall of his inexperience with this kind of thing, and it's frustrating him a little. Probably it's only Jason's presence that keeps him fairly calm and relaxed, but at least there's that. Jacob does seem mollified a bit by Jason addressing the problems--at least he can trust in him to handle that end of things, and he does--but then as Shane and Jason begin to discuss decapitation, Jacob is once again out of his depth. Suppressing the urge to sigh, he just stands there and... well, looks impassive. If he can be a supportive presence, it's something he'll do. Especially if it's all he can do. Brock's largest supernatural quality is his strength. He's so supernaturally strong that it even leaks over into his human form, making him a force even in manguise. Though the fact that he doesn't go around breaking people's bones and backs given how tactile he is states the testament to how aware and in control of his strength he is. When he says he let the bear beat on him, he means it just as he said it. A bear wouldn't stand up to two blows from Brock without vital damage. "Nah. Wore itself out after maimin for a while and not gettin anywhere. S'just a little tuckered out ah imagine. All ah need is maybe a shower an' ah'll be right as rain, aye?" The large Aussie dismisses the major concern, because he's the one that is supposed to be doing the worrying. He takes a large hand and pats it ontop of Brodie's head, "Not worries bout me, brah. It's gunna take a lot more than some Way or magic hokey pokey ta take me down." He smirks over at Jason, rubbing a hand through his golden hair. "Aye? Me? Wrestlin? Well, yah, it's on the syllabus. Ah'm the gym teacher, an' the assistant coach. An' uh... what are ya runnin from?" Brock asks of Shane. If Brodie is gonna go do the dream sleep thing, then Brock is gonna make a stakeout over his body to make sure nothing comes to get it. The large lion meandering casually, finding himself next to the quiet Jacob. Smirking, the lion reaches out with a large finger, and he starts to poke and wiggle at his sides. Small animals scurry through the underbrush. Brodie turns to them all and he says, "Guys, I have been studying the craft since before I was old enough to read. My mother had to teach me to control my magic." He looks at Brock for an assist. For once, Brock isn't treating him like a kid. This is Brodie's area of expertise. With Brock no longer a threat to spill blood on the Watchman and possibly stir the sleeping ancient giant. He looks a lot more at ease. "If I can, I will commune with it. Like people, it is in a hibernation mode, like sleep. If it sleeps than it dreams and if it dreams I can get into them. It's part of ritual magic, and that's my expertise now." He explains to Shane now, "Like you, we are not mere humans. Brock has a gift, if he allows his instincts to just take over. It will help him find what he is meant to find. You might have something similar. If you were just wandering around aimlessly, then you could have tapped into your instincts and they decided this is where you were meant to be. It's all a great deal to take in. But I am a witch. Born in a line of powerful witches. It wo's not my place to tell you everyone elses secrets. But I have a dual nature as well. You may know of werewolves. Well, wolves aren't the only creatures." It could just be that Shane wasn't drawn to the magic of the Watchmen, but someone else in the clearing. He glances towards Brock as he starts to literally poke Jacob. "Remind me again, am I the youngest one here?" Jason Christopher feels Jacob's frustration at not being in his league here. Jason casts a sympathetic look towards him. Gesturing with his head for Jacob to join him, where at the very least he can put an arm around him and try and help him feel a little less agitated. But then Brock seems to have that covered for now. He nods to the large lion and then looks back at Brodie. Putting both palms up, he chuckles and gives up. "Very well Brodie. I believe in you. Please pardon my worry. What exactly are you looking for anyway?" Then he looks at Shane and arches an eyebrow as he considers that information. "Then unless I miss my guess, and rest assured I am by no means certain. I would recommend you avoid being decapitated Shane Welles. I rather suspect you may not be getting back up from that." Does he know what he is? Maybe so. But he seems unwilling to speak further on it until he is certain. Shane Welles can only stay frightened so long and at the confirmation that Brock teaches gym, Shane can't help but give a goofy grin that is entirely, unselfconsciously delighted. He sighs and then starts to sit down under the big tree the call the Watchman, thinks better of it and sits down, tailor-fashion, on the ground, tilting his head up to look at the four of them. The body language is clear. He's putting himself in a position where he can't run or attack and is vulnerable. And it might appeal to animals instincts that the intruder in their territory is in what a wolf or lion might read as a submissive posture. But mostly it has to do with the fact that he's reaching the limit of what he can take in and stay on his feet. Werewolves and witches and dreaming trees. Life was a lot more simple, back in his time and place. At Brock's question, he hesitates a second and then answers, his scent and heartbeat and tension level all suggesting he's telling the truth. "When I died, the first time, I ended up in a lab. There were other people like me. I could feel their, um, hearts." He touches his own. "Like I can feel all of you and the tree, but more so. And there were doctors, running tests. Sometimes bad enough that I'd wake up for a little bit. Anyway, they kept us asleep. For a really long time. Then something happened. I woke up and ran. Been running since then." The obvious camaraderie between the young men, the way they seem to know each others moods and account for them, when Jacob starts looking almost as overwhelmed as Shane feels, he smiles. Bad guys aren't protective of each other, he's pretty sure. When Jason offers that bit of advice, he shrugs and says, "Wasn't high up on my list, dude. But does that mean you know something?" Jacob jumps a little first Brock starts to poke at his ribs. Dropping his arms to defend himself, he shoots the big lion-man a puzzled look and asks, "What--''what''?!" He's clearly caught off-guard and confused by the sudden poking. Then, when Brodie mentions his question about age, Jason gives him a confused look, too. "What?" he asks, clearly baffled by this turn of behaviors. He goes to Jason, then, and accepts the arm around him, leaning against Jason a bit. His presence is, as always, comforting and helps to balance out Jake's feelings. And he returns Shane's smile, if for no other reason than good manners. He does want the others to feel welcome here, even if he's not at his best when dealing with all this magic stuff. Brock is an alpha, and is of course expected to lead. He has taken up being teacher, so it gets forgotten sometimes that he is still sorta on the young side. Very early 20's in fact, and as such, Brock still likes to play. He is a bit of a rough houser, and a cat at that. So picking with people is in his nature. When there isn't something pressing that needs him to take charge, he can get pretty frisky. Jacob manages to get away from his reach, and the great King looks uninterested in the idea of pursuit. "In a lab? Sounds like ya need ta strike back at these blokes, mate. Get em off yer back." he advises of Shane. Brodie manages to make himself target as he comments about age. Brock's ears are hidden by his lengthy hair, but even though they're human, the manage to perks while he looks over at his younger brother. His eyes convey something, reflecting a state in which Brodie has, in the past, wound up grabbed and twisted into some type of hold, usually with Brock sitting on him, tickling him with no mercy. Brodies big blue eyes soften more as Shane explains his past and the time that he slept. "I know what nightmares are like." As someone who suffers from crippling nightmares. He is all too familiar with that. He looks at Shane and he says to him. "Sorry mate." He is not usually so serious. He's usually the light hearted playful one. But the Watchmen is serious business. The blond looks towards his brother. "Yeah, you don't even act your shoe size." The Bryant boys have really big feet. If anyone hasn't noticed when they walk around bare foot. "If I have to Jason. I will talk with the Nameton if the Watchman won't talk to me. It needs to wake up. The Ways need to be re-opened and I need to master them." Why, he didn't say. "We are genuinely a really motley crew." Jason Christopher gives Jacob a squeeze as he looks down now at the seated Shane. "You have been honest with us, and so I shall offer you the same. I am rather, older, than appearances might otherwise suggest Shane Welles. I have encountered much in my time. Learned much as well. I have heard whispers of human beings, who could not die unless they lost their head. Who took part in a great contest against one another. Where they hunted each other. There was more. But to be honest I have no way to know if you are in fact such. If so, well I may be able to tell you more still. But it is better to know the truth first." Jason is an alpha as well, and it radiates from him in waves no matter if he is trying or not. At the moment though he isn't trying at all. He has noted in the past Brodie performs better with the confidence of alphas around him. Well, given what he was going to try...Jason wanted him to have all the fucking confidence he could get. He glances at Jacob, and shares a concerned look with him. But he doesn't voice them any further. Brodie's insistence on this was causing him to have his own very real concerns as well. It was time to contact Stiles Stilinski in Beacon Hills and see what he had been able to learn. One way or the other, Brodie was right. It was time this damn tree woke up. He needed it. And he did not long suffer things that impeded his plans. Leaning up against Jason, Jake still turns to give Brock a little grin. Brodie's brother seems like a decent guy, and clearly Jacob is glad to have him around. It all appeals to his sense of pack, of family. Brodie's comments make him chuckle a little. There's another person who's been brightening their lives, lately, and Jacob is clearly grateful for it. When Jason gives him that squeeze, Jake returns it, also meeting Jason's concerned look with one of his own. Like Jason, he's worried. Unlike Jason, he doesn't even fully understand why. Jake's education has been mostly about fighting Cold Ones and protecting his people. This... magic stiff... is all beyond him, and he's not too fond of it at all. But, that's secondary. Right now, his pack--both his actual pack and his growing "adopted pack"--need him, so he will be there for him. There's no question about that. Shane Welles watches the byplay with Jacob and he keeps smiling. He doesn't know these guys, but he's fairly sure they aren't bad people. Strange. Supernatural, apparently. But not bad. The human (more or less) snorts at Brock and says, "Seriously, dude. Do I look like Chuck Norris to you? Strike back? With what? Six or seven mall karate lessons?" His tone is brutally frank about his lack of practical combat skill. "My parents didn't even let me play hockey because it was too violent. I'm not a superhero. Or a witch. Or a werewolf. I'm just ... me. I mean, if I were seven feet tall and wrestled bears because, you know, there was nothing good on TV, sure. But me? Not so much." When Brodie shows that sympathy, he shrugs a little and says, "I'm alive." Though his tone suggests he's still not quite sure that's a good thing, entirely. And then Jason is hitting him with a bomb, metaphorically speaking. "There are more people like me, maybe?" And then, his expression going from relieved and hopeful to shocked, "Hunting each other?" Yeah, that's as much as he can take. There is a panicked look in his eyes and he seems to be only a hair away from hyperventilating for a long moment. Then he takes a deep breath and shakes his head. "Well ... crap." It's fairly obvious that his ability to cope and even think coherently has fairly well checked out. And everything that is happening gets knocked to the wayside as Shane starts to lose it. Brodie knows panic. The blond moves over to Shane and he says in a soft voice. "It's okay." His big blue eyes look into Shane's eyes and he starts to radiate that calming aura, purposely pushing that into the other teen. "We are all in an eternal struggle fighting for our lives. It sounds like yours just happens to go on for a bit longer." He comforts Shane with a squeeze of his shoulder. "Still don't know if I can trust you, but then again. I don't know if I can trust half of the wolves in the world." He glances over at the wolves present and he offers a smile. "How are you getting back to Beacon Hills? You have a place to stay here? You can crash with us. We have some guest space. And lots of food, if Paul didn't eat everything." Yeah, he just invited Shane to stay with them. "I need to go start preparing the ritual. Maybe the Watchmen can give me some clues how to wake it up." He gathers up his stuff. "Back to the Chapel?" Jason Christopher sighs and looks at Jacob, that look on his face saying that... Yes. He is about to do it AGAIN. But Brodie sort of beats him to the punch. He says it regardless though. "Shane Welles. I formerly offer you hospitality. Until we discover what you truly are. You will be safe here, if you wish to accept, Jacob will see to you, give you a place you may stay in safety." He gives his young mate another squeeze. In over 400 years Jason has never had call to offer hospitality to so many, in so short a period of time. The world had truly changed. So much more so than he had been paying attention to, wrapped up in his own issues over the last century. There were wolf packs in small towns in California, were lions in places he had never dreamed to see them, and demons and vampires running rampant pretty much everywhere. Even truly odd vampires that seemed to be, peaceful? Gahhh it was all maddening. The old ways were truly dead and buried. So, so be it. One could not live forever in the past. He would bury it to a point, with the death of his insane family. Then, then he could think about a new life. A new life with some of those surrounding him now. Or, that was what he was truly beginning to hope for. Jason leans in and kisses Jacob on the top of his head affectionately. "I am going to try and help Brodie. While he prepares to seek out The Watchman's dreams, I am going to keep gently trying to stir it." Then with a sigh he cracks his neck, and shakes out his hands and arms. "Perhaps two sources of magic will help, where thus far only one has failed. Please join me when you are ready Brodie." He sits on the cold, wet ground. Easily crossing his legs in lotus position without any need to push or pull his legs into place. He is quite flexible really. Centuries of martial arts training will do that for a guy. But at the moment he is calling on a different sort of training. That of the druid. Jason takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. St Elmos Fire plays around his body as he floats into the air. A small dust devil kicking up around him as he opens his eyes, stares at the tree and speaks. The words dance across the brain like spiders skittering about. But fail to take root for anyone save perhaps Brodie. He is invoking the tree in an ancient tongue. As he speaks the trees and the forest seem to speak with him. As if every blade of grass, every tree, and every animal spoke with him. His eyes glow, a bright healthy green. Like that of the leaves on the trees. Then he lowers to the ground speaking softly under his breath, calling to the tree more silently, as his eyes and the surrounding fauna and foilage return to normal. St Elmo's Fire still dances between him and the tress every few moments. There is a fairly good chance, he may be there a while. Brock lets out a huff of air, tucking his arms behind his head, "Kinna gettin a gatherin of folks here. Leave it to us Bryant's ta pull em from all over." The giant stating a fact, and moving to follow after his brother.